1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process progress display device which displays a progress status of a plurality of work processes executed individually or continuously.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a processing apparatus which has a plurality of work processes and is capable of performing the work processes individually or continuously, it has been difficult to visually grasp to which work process the processing is to be performed.
For example, a conventional stencil printing machine which has a stencil making process and a printing process has been equipped with an LED of a display unit which displays execution of the stencil making process, an LED of a display unit which displays execution of the printing process, a key for switching the processing to the stencil making process, a key for switching the processing to the printing process, and a key for switching the processing to a process where the stencil making process and the printing process are performed continuously. In the stencil printing machine, a process currently set has been checked by how the LEDs are being turned on, and the processing has been switched to another process by a key operation.
As such a conventional stencil printing machine, for example, there is one described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-141851. The stencil printing machine described in this document is adapted to calculate an operating time from a point of time immediately after a stencil making operation is started to a point of time when a printing operation is completed, and to display the calculated operating time.
However, in such a stencil printing machine as described above, a relation between the stencil making process and the printing process, namely, such a relation indicating whether a setting is made to stop the processing after the stencil making process or after the printing process has not been visually displayed. Accordingly, it has been difficult for a user to understand an operation concept of stencil printing, such as how the respective processes are associated with one another, and to grasp an operation status of the stencil printing.
Moreover, a progress status of the stencil making process or printing process has not also been visually displayed. Accordingly, it has been difficult for the user to grasp the progress status. Furthermore, when the operation is stopped due to an occurrence of an error or the like at some midpoint in each of the processes, it has been impossible to visually grasp in which state each process is stopped.
In addition, though the printing machine has been adapted to be stopped in a standby state for a stencil making instruction or for a printing instruction in the case of receiving data of a printing original from a personal computer or the like, what is a clue to grasp the above-described state in the conventional stencil printing machine is only display states of the LEDs of the display units, which correspond to the I/F keys. Therefore, it has been difficult for the user to grasp the above-described state.